afuera
/aˈfweɾa/
afuera is the Spanish word for outside or outdoors.
afuera describes a position or a direction that is outside of a building or an enclosed area, translating to 'outside' or 'outdoors' in English.
Which one should you use?
While both afuera and fuera mean 'outside', they are used differently. In contrast, fuera is typically used with a preposition like 'de' to indicate a specific location, such as 'fuera de la casa' (outside of the house).
Is it said differently in some regions?
The informal form afuerita is more commonly used in Mexico than in other Spanish-speaking countries.
How does it change in a sentence?
afuera functions as an adverb and does not change its form to agree with gender or number.
How do you pronounce it?
/aˈfweɾa/
Did you know?
- The Romanian word for 'outside', afară, is a cognate of afuera. This is a remnant of how Latin evolved into the Romance languages across Europe.
- The English word 'forum' shares a distant linguistic ancestry with afuera, stemming from the same root related to an open or outdoor place.
- In Mexico, the diminutive afuerita is often used to make a request sound more polite or less blunt when asking someone to step outside.
Examples in context
- Me gusta sentarme afuerita a disfrutar del sol.I like to sit outside and enjoy the sun.
- Los niños están jugando afuera.The children are playing outside.
- Está haciendo mucho frío afuera.It is very cold outside.
- Déjalo afuera en la entrada.Leave it outside at the entrance.
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are at home during a rainy day.
- Sofía¿Quieres ir afuera un momento?Do you want to go outside for a moment?
- DanielNo, está lloviendo mucho afuera.No, it is raining a lot outside.
- SofíaTienes razón, Daniel.You are right, Daniel.
- DanielMejor nos quedamos aquí.It is better if we stay here.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry afuera, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries afuera, CC BY-SA 4.0.
